Camera.



UNITED .sT 'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. THOIAS, OF NEW'YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS OBERKIRCH GOM- rm, mil-ED; OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1918.

\ Application filed April 29, 1914.- Serial No. 835,095.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. TnoMAs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York whereby the entire camera is formed of two sections, one carrying the operating mechaiism and the'other carrying the supply of A still further object of the present invention is a camera of the character specified wherein the film supply magazine is provided with film winding and guiding mechanisms to enable a relatively large portion of film to be stored in substantially small comass.

P A still further object of the present invention is a camera of the character specified wherein the film supply magazine carries the supply spool and the rewind spool with a portion of the film extending into the zone of efi'ective operations of the film feeding mechanism carried by the section of the casing which includes the operating mechanism.

Other and further objects of the present invention will in part be obvious and will in part be pointed out hereinafter in the specification following by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters are used to represent like parts throughout the several figures thereof.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the camera, illustrating in connection therewith the manually controlled means for actuating the picture taking mechanism; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the camera and the means for actuating s'ame; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical illustration of the relative elements or parts comprised in the camera structure; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the moving picture taking apparatus with one of the covers removed; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of moving picture taking 1 is contro led by means of spring (17).

- apparatus actuating means; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical illustration of a modified form of film winding means; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatical illustration of another form of film winding means.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings (1) indicates a casing provided with a stationary side wall (2) and a removable door' or casement (3) having indicated on its outside face a film indicator means running from a zero mark to 200 feet, the object of which is to'indicate to the user of a camera the'number of feet utilized tion of which is controlled by spring (9), said roller (8) being so arranged as to engage the rewoun'd film (10) mounted on film spool (11'), provided with pins (12) engag-' ing a suitable vertical slot (13) in side wall (2) and casement (3) for permitting said film roll (10) to ride therein vertically with relation to the film magazine during the unrolling of said film while in the process of picture taking. (14) indicates a roller mounted in the upper end of said magazine (1) over which the film (10) passes from over roller (15) in the bottom of said magazine- (1), after having passed over a compensatin' roller (16), the position of which The supply spool (18) is provided with pins (19), also operative in vertical slot (13), the rotation of said film as it is being wound from spool (18) being so arranged as to rest upon supporting roller (20) mounted or fas-,

(11), and when actuated by the claw feet of the moving picture taking actuating means, the windingroller (11) 4 as it gathers the film, after the process of taking'a picture, takes substantially the'original position as film'roll, thereby providing afilm magazine ily' handled.

far as space is concerned as did the original with the required film reception area provided with two roll operating means operative substantially within the same space, thereby providing a film magazine in its entirety of a very reduced size and one readzine across which the'film (10) extends and has mounted therein a blind slide (23) that may readily be removed therefrom when desired.

(24)- indicates a casing or housing made of any suitable material, the back wall thereof being provided with aprojective aper- .t ure (25) and the front wall thereof being provided with a like aperture (26) and having mounted thereon and adjacent thereto a lens (27) operative in any suitable manner, manually or automatically. The top of casement (24) has mounted thereon a sight glass (28)for the proper positioning and alining of the camera as a whole during "the focusing of the same upon an object.

The front wall of casement (24) has formed thereon or mounted thereon a bearing (29') having mounted therein a shaft (30) carrying on its inside end a wheel (31) provided with an aperture (32), the outer end of said shaft (30) having formed therein .a socket (32) adapted to receive a plug (33) on one end of a flexible shaft (34)'mounted in a suitable flexible casing (35). The opposite end of said flexible shaft (34) carries a rigid shaft (36) mounted in bearing (37) on cas ing (38), said shaft (36) having mounted thereon a flexible wheel (39) engaging a disk (40) mounted on shaft (41) in said casing (38) and operative by means of crank (42)." The object of the same being to provide means for rotating the wheel or shutter (31) at the required number of revolutions manually at any point distant from the camera proper, at the proper speed which is, namely, about 16 revolutions per second.

' Wheel (31) has mounted therein, slightly I so in an eccentric position from the center thereof, a stud (43) which receives one end of spring (44) the opposite end ofwhich is mounted in a block "(44) adjacent the sliding head (45) which is in turn mounted upon guide'rods (46) and operative thereon vertically with relation thereto. The lower ends of said guide rods (46) are mounted in bracket (47) suitably fastened within the casing (24). Said sliding head (45) has mounted thereon arms (48) carrying at their upper ends claws (49) when actuated adapted'to engage the small apertures in the sides of the film (10).'

The arms 48 are provided at their lower ends with extensions48 which extensions are pivoted as at (44") tothe block (44).

When the shaft (30) is operated to rotate The front wall .(21) of maga- (l) is provided with an aperture (22) L by the arrow in Fig. 4, the stud (43) in its rotating movement exerts a pull upward This pull upon the spring or pitman (44);

is communicated to the block (44), through 44 to the extensions (48),

the pivots effect of this upward pull whereby the first is to swing the arms (48) on the whereby the claws (49) are engaged in the perforations of the film. Further continued movement of the pitman (44) causes. the head (45) to slide upwardl on the guide rods (46) with the claws (49) maintained in engagement with the film; so that'the film therefore -is lifted during the time when the stud (43) is passing from its lowermost position to its upper position, relatively to the shaft Immediately as the stud (43) starts on its downward travel the spring or pitman (44) is under compression, whereby a thrust is now exerted against the pressure between the claws (49) and the film perforations, the first efi'ect of the downward movement is to withdraw the claws (49) from the film and further. continued movement carries the head (45) and actuating parts to lowermost position, with the claws (49) out of contact with the film. This motion begins prior to any exposure of the film through the aperture (32) of the shut ter (31) and terminates after the aperture ('32) has passed beyond the. position to expose the film so that during the passage of the aperture (32) the film is stationary and is fed during the time when the member (31) is effective as a shutter.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a slightly modified arrangement of the winding mechanism within the film magazine in which modified structures considerable portions of the film being wound are in contact with a considerable portion of the film being unwound; so that an effective coaction is maintained between the unwinding and the rewinding coils.

Theinvention as herein shown and described may be varied inlmany of its essential features without departing from the spirit of the invention.

WVh-at I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is 1. A moving picture machine comprising a film operating casing including a shutter,

means for operating said shutter, film feedand adapted to be withdrawn when said film magazine is attached to. said casing, an opening in said film magazine through which said film feeding'members" are adapted to operate when said shutter slide is withdrawn,

85 extensions (48*) and in View of the released I and means-within said film magazine for causing the winding and unwindlng of the a casing constructed to carry a suitable lens,

7 a shutter adapted to interce t the light from said lens at predetermine intervals, film feeding mechanism carried by and mounted within said casin and having efiective pors tions extnding t rough an =opening in the rear portion ofthe said casing, in combmation with a detachable film magazine adapted to cofiperate with and be secured to said casin and to completely carry the entire lengtfi oi film, an opening being rovided in said film magazine to permit t e effective operation of said film feedin devices, means within said magazine adaptefi and to guide said film with a portion thereof adjacent the zoneiof operations of said film actuating mechanism, and fneans whereby the movement of the film .efiects the unwinding and rewinding thereof.

3. In a device of the character described a casing constructed to carry a suitable lens, a shutter within said casing and adapted to intercept the rays of light from said lens at a predetermined interval, film feeding devices operabl connected to operate in synchronism wit the operation of said shutter, in combination with a detachable film carry ing magazine constructed to be attached to sald casing and to completely carryall the film, means being provided whereby said film feeding mechanisms are operative to in:

termittently move the film within said magazine, and winding mechanism provided for said film whereby the movement of the film through said aotuatin devices automatically unwinds and rewmds said film.

4. In a device of the character described a lens, a shutter constructed to cooperate with said lens, film feedin mechanism, in combination with detachal. e means to completely carry and guide a filmwithin the zone of effective operations of said film feeding mechanism, and film supporting devices adapted to cause the movement of said film to automatically unwind and rewind the said film. c

5. In a device of the character described a suitablelens, a shutter operating with said lens to intercept the light therefrom at predetermined intervals, film feedin' devices operating in synchronism with said shutter,

of the device. 1

to carry a film.

. mechanism adapted to intermittent] in combination with a detachable film supporting means whereby the portion of the film being unwound is maintained in contact with the portion of the film being rewound to cause the movement of the film to automatically unwind and rewind the said film, and a caslng for said means, which casing comprlses a portlon of the exterior casing 6. A device of erating w1th said lens to intermittently intercept the light passing through said lens, a film feeding mechanism operatin in synchronism with said shutter, in con ibination mechanism, a detachable casing supporting said film-guiding devices and adapted to comprise a portion of the exterior casing of the said device, and means whereby a contact under pressure is maintained between the coil of unwound film and the coil of rewound ,film whereby the movement of the film causes the winding and rewinding to be automatically performed.

the character described comprising a suitable lens, a shutter coiip- 7. In a moving picture machinea suitable I lens, a shutter operative in connection with said lens to intermittently intercept the light passing through said lens, film operating move a. film to expose individual picture engths thereof a casing inclosing and supporting the film-operating. mechanism, in combinatlon w1th film iding devices adapted to maintain a portion of a film within the effective zone of operations of said film feeding devicesand a second casing adapted to be attached to and detached from the first-mentioned casing, said second casing inclosing and supportingthe guiding devices, and film windingmechanism including means constructed to maintain the peripheries of the wound and unwound coils of film in contact under pressure whereby the rewinding of the film is automatically produced by the unwindin thereof.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my namein the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM M. THOMAS.

In the presence of Mnnonnm'm Tnoms, E. E. HAINES. 

